Mike Posner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Posner
Posner at the B96 Pepsi SummerBash in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Michael Robert Henrion Posner
Born	(1988-02-12) February 12, 1988 (age 37) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Origin	Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Pop rap pop R&B dance electronic
Occupations	Singer rapper songwriter record producer poet
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2007–present
Labels	J RCA Island Arista Monster Mountain

Michael Robert Henrion Posner (born February 12, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and music producer from Detroit. He became famous for his hit songs and for writing music for other popular artists.

In 2009, he signed with J Records. The next year, he released his first single, "Cooler Than Me". This song became very popular, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold millions of copies! His next song, "Please Don't Go", also did very well. Both songs were part of his first album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, released in 2010.

Later, in 2015, a dance music remix of his song "I Took a ... in Ibiza" became a huge international hit. It reached the top ten in many countries and helped his second album, At Night, Alone (2016), become very successful. He has released several other albums, including A Real Good Kid (2019) and Operation: Wake Up (2020). His most recent album, The Beginning, was released in 2025.

Besides his own music, Mike Posner has written and produced songs for many famous artists. These include Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Maroon 5, and Nick Jonas. He also wrote a book of poetry called Tear Drops & Balloons in 2017. He is also part of a music duo called Mansionz with the rapper blackbear.

About Mike Posner

Michael Robert Henrion Posner was born in Detroit on February 12, 1988. He grew up in Southfield, a suburb near Detroit. He has an older sister. His father was a lawyer, and his mother is Catholic.

Posner went to Bingham Farms Elementary School and Berkshire Middle School. He graduated from Groves High School, where he was active in track and cross-country. He then attended Duke University and earned a degree in sociology.

His father, Jon, passed away in 2017. His mother is Roberta Henrion, and his sister, Emily Henrion Posner, is a civil rights attorney.

Music Career Highlights

Early Music and First Album

Posner in 2010

Mike Posner started his music journey as a producer, working with his friend Big Sean. In 2009, his mixtape A Matter of Time caught the attention of the music industry. He recorded this mixtape at Duke University. It was unique because it was given away for free through iTunes U, which is usually for educational content. This helped him become very popular.

In July 2009, after his junior year at Duke, Posner signed a record deal with J Records. He continued his studies while touring and recording his first album on weekends. His third mixtape, One Foot Out the Door, came out in October 2009.

His first album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, was released in August 2010. The first song from the album, "Cooler Than Me", became a big hit. He performed at major music festivals like Bonnaroo and the Warped Tour. His other songs, "Please Don't Go" and "Bow Chicka Wow Wow", also did well on the charts. In 2011, he won an ASCAP Award for "Cooler Than Me". Later, J Records merged with RCA Records, and Posner continued to release music under the RCA brand.

New Music and Big Hits

After his first album, Posner started working on his second album. He released a mixtape called The Layover. However, he felt overwhelmed by being in the spotlight and decided to take a break from making his own music. During this time, he focused on writing and producing songs for other artists.

He later announced that his next album would be called Pages. He released a song called "The Way It Used To Be" in 2013. Another song, "Top of the World", was used in a Reebok advertisement and featured Big Sean.

In 2014, Posner went on an "Unplugged" tour. He performed his old and new songs using mostly acoustic instruments. During this time, he also announced that he had signed with Island Records. He shared that he wanted to release the music he had worked on for his previous projects, Sky High and Pages.

International Success and New Projects

On April 15, 2015, Mike Posner released a simple version of his song "I Took a ... in Ibiza". This song was part of an exclusive EP called The Truth.

A Norwegian music duo called SeeB created a remix of "I Took a ... in Ibiza". This remix became incredibly popular, with over a billion streams on Spotify. It topped the music charts in many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

Because of this success, Posner released his second album, At Night, Alone, on May 6, 2016. Critics praised the album, saying it was a big step forward for him. In 2017, he released a remix of his song "In the Arms of a Stranger" by the electronic duo Grey.

In 2017, Posner explored new creative paths. He released his poetry book, Teardrops and Balloons. He also formed a new hip-hop duo called Mansionz with blackbear. Mansionz released singles like "Rich White Girls" and "Dennis Rodman" (featuring Dennis Rodman). Their first album came out on March 24, 2017.

Posner also worked with Nick Jonas again on the 2017 single "Remember I Told You", which also featured English singer Anne-Marie. In 2018, he released a poetry album called I was born in detroit on a very, very, very, very, very, very, very cold day. His third studio album, A Real Good Kid, was released in January 2019. He also released a mixtape called Keep Going in October 2019 to celebrate his walk across America. His fourth album, Operation: Wake Up, a rap-opera style album, was released in December 2020.

Recent Music: The Beginning

Mike Posner released his fifth studio album, The Beginning, on February 21, 2025. He described this album as a way to "reclaim himself" and turn challenges into happiness. The album talks about growing spiritually and being strong, while also celebrating the good things in life.

The Beginning has 13 songs. Some of the singles include "I’m Not Dead Yet," released in September 2022, which is about his experience climbing Mount Everest. "Beautiful Day," released in September 2024, is a song about being thankful and surviving. An acoustic version of "Beautiful Day" was released in October 2024. Most recently, he released "Is It Just Me?" in January 2025, which is a dreamy pop song about falling in love.

Personal Life and Adventures

On January 4, 2019, Mike Posner announced a big plan: he would walk across America starting on March 1, 2019. He said this journey would take most of his 31st year. Many people and news outlets were interested in his walk.

He began his 2,800-mile trip from Asbury Park, New Jersey on April 15, 2019. On August 7, his walk was paused for a few weeks when he was bitten by a rattlesnake in Colorado. He had to be taken to a hospital. He successfully finished his walk across the US on October 18, 2019, in Venice Beach in Los Angeles. The journey took him six months.

In May 2021, Posner traveled to Nepal and went to the base camp of Mount Everest. He even sang for climbers there. On June 1, 2021, he successfully climbed to the top of Mount Everest with a team. Posner used his climb to raise $250,000 for the Detroit Justice Center, a charity that helps people in his hometown.

Discography

• 31 Minutes to Takeoff (2010)
• At Night, Alone. (2016)
• A Real Good Kid (2019)
• Operation: Wake Up (2020)
• The Beginning (2025)

Concert Tours

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Mike Posner para niños